Construction project aims to alleviate flooding

Herkimer village officials and Steuben Road residents hope construction on the street, when completed, will alleviate flooding issues experienced by residents.

“We’ve had an issue over several years where when we get a heavy rain, the pipe gets clogged up with debris,” said Peter Macri, village street superintendent, during a telephone interview on Wednesday. “The water couldn’t get into the pipe, so it would wash out into the road.”

Stephanie Sorrell-White

Herkimer village officials and Steuben Road residents hope construction on the street, when completed, will alleviate flooding issues experienced by residents.
“We’ve had an issue over several years where when we get a heavy rain, the pipe gets clogged up with debris,” said Peter Macri, village street superintendent, during a telephone interview on Wednesday. “The water couldn’t get into the pipe, so it would wash out into the road.”
The village Department of Public Works has been working on replacing the 15-inch pipe with 400 feet of 18-inch pipe over the summer.
Macri said the 18-inch pipe was the largest pipe the department could use without interfering with several other utility lines that cross at the Steuben Road and Charles Street intersection.
Work started on a section of the road in June and Macri said they are near completion, with mostly “cosmetic work” left to do.
Though the piping is expected to help with the problems experienced by residents on Steuben Road, it was earlier this month when village crews still had about 60 feet of piping left to install when the rains from Tropical Storm Lee pummeled the area.
“The rain with (Tropical Storm) Irene (in August), the system handled it since it was a large amount of rain over a long period of time. (With Lee) we got a quick three inches of rain in a matter of an hour. It was too much,” said Macri.
Macri said the force of the water from Lee destroyed one of the catch basins, which has since been replaced.
For some Steuben Road residents, the problems brought on by Lee was the last straw.
Several of residents attended a village board meeting earlier this month to address the board about their concerns with the flooding.
“During the last torrential rainfall, we had a river down Steuben,” said Mayor Mark Ainsworth during a telephone interview on Wednesday. “I think what people were trying to communicate to the board was they were concerned about their property.”
Ainsworth said the village has been working on fixing this problem, which includes the repairs that are currently ongoing at the section between the bridge and Charles Street.
He also said the village has been working with the county engineer to find the best solution to the flooding problems on Steuben.
Debbie English, of Herkimer, spoke on behalf of her mother-in-law, Margaret English, who has lived on Steuben Road for nearly 50 years, during the Sept. 19 regular board meeting.
“After the last big rainstorm, I had enough,” said English during a telephone interview on Wednesday. She said she has contacted the village, the town, the county and state Assemblyman Marc Butler about the issue. “I think everybody’s got to get on the same page,” she said.
English said sandbags were just removed from alongside her mother-in-law’s property Wednesday.
Though she hasn’t experienced any property damage, English said she has had water in her basement. Neighbors in the area also continually experience problems during excessive rainfall.
English said they will have to wait until the next major rainfall to see if the work has done any good.
“They’re saying that it should. We’re hoping that it does,” she said.